Time-recorder.



Patented Feb. 25, i902.

No. 694,012. w. P. Gunn.

TIME RECORDER.

(Application ma am. 1o, 1901.) (lo Model.) 8 Sheetsf-Sheat I.

tgl

No. 694,0l2. Patented Feb. 25,1902. w. Pf. Gunn.

TIME Ixscmmlm.

(Application madam. 19; 1901.) l

. mad.;

' IH: Nomus varias co.. Pnomuro., WASHINGTON, u. c4

No. 694',0l2. Patented Feb.r25, |902.

W. P. GURR.

TIME kanonnen.

(Application led Mar. 19, 1901.) V A 8 Sh'feets--Sheet 3.

(I0 Model.)

i A Will 1*. II

No. 694,012. Patented Feb.v 25, |902.

2 w. P. Gunn.

'TIME REGBDER.

(Application led Mr. 19, 1901.) (N =Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 4.

710.6 /Z/Mf @m m No. 694,0I2. Patented Feb. 25, |902.

w. P. Gunn.

TIME RECURD-ER.

(Application Bled Kar. 19, 1901.)

8 Sheets-Shat 5.

'um man.)

` @www Pm WMM M no. 694,0l2. Patented Feb. 25, |902. wxP. auna. A

TIME Becomes. (Application med m'r, 19, 1901.; (llo Ilodel.) 18 Sheets-Shoot 7.

TH: mams PUEM co. PHuTo-Llmq. wAsHmGToN, D4 c.

No. 694.012. Patented Feb. 25, |902. A

- W. PpGURR.

TIME RECURDER.

. (Application med $5" 1.9 1901.) f i y I.

l 3 sheets-Shoal 8.

(No 1Modal.)

Milam 7.7 51m? 270775,61/ 5- maar y UNITED STATEsq-PATENT OFFICE.

TIME-RECORDER.

-.51?EGIFl2tIAlZLIIOAT forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,012, dated February 25, 1902. Application filed March 19, 1901. Serial No. 51,854. (No model.)

To al!l whom, t may concern:

Be it known that LWILLIAM P. GURR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Time-Recorders; and I do hereby declare. the fellowing to be a full,

clear, and exact description of .the invention,-

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present inventionl relates to time-recorders for recording the time of employees; and it has for its object to improve the same in the several particulars hereinafter noted.

The invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

A machine constructed in accordance with my invention andillustratin g what I consider the preferred form of the samel is shown in the accompanying drawings. The construction of this machine may be briefly forecast by the following statement: 'The platen, whichA is the relatively fixed member, is in the form of a longflat surface, and running lengthwise thereof arecarriage-guides, over which is mounted to move .a traveling carriage. This traveling carriage is given its traveling movement from a spring-motor which is carried thereby and the movements of which are controlled by ayclockwork or timed escapement mechanism. This traveling carriage is provided with a plurality of independently-operative markers which, by

a suitable key mechanism, are adapted to be thrown into and out of action at will. A graduated recording-stri p is suitably secured on the face of the platen, and immediately under the same is placed a strip of carbonpaper. Hence the strip-engaging points of the markers are formed of metal or other hard material and are made quite sharp. The

marking-pointsof themarkers are projected slightly to the lrear of the carriage, sothat they may always beseen. With this arrange.-

v ement the complete time-record of all of the y"employees who use the machine is 'always exposed to view'..` `Provision is made wherebyv theniachine'maybe set to run continuously throughout thetwenty-four hoursof several consecutive days. Means is also provided whereby at will the machine may be set so that it will automatically run for twelve hours and remain idle for twelve hours of each of the consecutive days of the week, more or less, and this action may take place without stopping the clockwork or hands of the clock.

Many other novel features of construction will appear in the following detail description.

The inventionis illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views. A

Figure l is a side elevation ofa recorderv embodying the several features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig.

'3 is a detail in side-elevation, some parts beremoved. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line @c7/.1:7 of Fig. 1, parts Lbein g broken away. Fig. 8 is a detail inhorizontal section,taken approximatelyon the line :1:8 x8 of Fig..4, showing the parts in their norl -malor starting position and corresponding in this respect to Figs. l, 2, and 4. Fig. 9 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line Q09 009 ofFig. 4.and illustrating the parts in their normalpositions Figa@n and 9 are horizontal sections corresponding, respectively, to Figs. S and 9,`but showing the parts in the positions in which they will stand after the carriage has traveled for twelve hours. Fig.,

broken away, showing the machine Withtir carriage in the position in which itwill stand--` after havingtraveled fortwelve hours; and

Fig. 1l is a transverse vertical section on theline m11 :r11 of Fig. 4, showing the hinged' frame 3 as raised.

The numeral lindicates a (latL bed-plate,

the central portion of which is shown as loo slightly raised to afford a long fiat platen 2. (See particularly Figs. 2, 5, and.)

'10 is a View, partly infplan and with parts,V-

The numeral 3 indicates a rectangular skeleton framework made up of vertical corner-posts and horizontal side and end rails. This frame 3 is pivoted or hinged at one side to the bed-plate 1 by means of a plurality of hinges 4, which permit the said frame 3 to be raised at one side, so as to afford access to the platen 2. The lower longitudinally-extended rails of the frame 3 are grooved to adord longitudinally-extended guides or runways 5 for the traveling carriage, presently to'be noted. The four bottom rails of the said hinged frame 3 normally press against or lie close to the bed-plate 1, immediately surrounding the slightly-raised platen 2. Upon the face of the platen is placed a sheet of carbon paper .z and a graduated record-strip z', as best shown in Figs. 6, 10, and 11. vThe edges of the carbon z and recording-strip a project beyond the platen 2 and are ladapted to be clamped and held by the lower-end and side bars of the frame 3. In this way the recording-strip and the carbon are securely held when the frame 3 is turned dow-n into an operative position and are quickly released, so that they may be readily removed 'when the said frame is turned upward, as shown in Fig. 11.

The longitudinally-extended top and bottom rails of the frame 3 are tied together at their intermediate portions by vertically-extended bolts or rods 6. On each side of the frame 3 isa longitu-dinally-extended rack 7,

provided with keeper-brackets 8, which work loosely on the bolts or rods 6 land adapt the said racks to be adjusted vertically. part simultaneous and equal vertical `movements to the two racks and to always maintain the same horizontal or parallel vt-o an original position, the said racks are each connected, as shown, by links A9 to aplurality ofv bell-cranks 10, pivoted on projections 11 ofy The -bell-cranks at av given side ofthe frame 3 'are connected to a common the frame 3.

link or 'rod 12. The two rods 12 are connected lto the depending arms 13 kof a transf versely-extended rock-shaft 14, mounted in suitable bearings 15 on one end of the frame 3. At one end the rock-shaft 14 kis provided connections just described, the two racks 7 may beset in any one of three different positions, for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

The 'traveling carriage is made up principally of top and bottom plates 2O and vertical tie-bolts or corner-posts 2l. The bottom plate 2O is extended at its sides and ts into the guide-grooves 5 of, the lower longitudinally-extended rails of the frame 3, as best shown in Figs. 5 and 11. In this way the carriage is mounted to move longitudinally ot' the frame 3 and over the platen and recordstrip z.

The plurality of markers, which are in the form of lingers 22, are located side by side and are pivoted at 23 to the rear portion of the upper plate '20 oi' the carriage, as best shown in Fig. 6. These marking-fingers 22 are subject to light springs 24, secured on a common pivoted support 25, which is shown as pivoted at 26 to lugs depending from the top plate 20 of the carriage and is adapted to be adjusted to simultaneously vary the tension of all of the springs 24 by means of an adj listing-screw 27. At its upper pivoted end each marking-finger 22 is provided with a short projection 22a, varying in length in different fingers. To each linger projection 22n is secured the lower spring end of an operating- `key l28. The stems of the keys 28 work upward through suitable perforations in the top plate 20 of thecarriage, and each is provided with a lateral projection or lug 2 which by lateral movements of the key 28 is adapted to be engaged and disengaged with a coperating lock-bar 29, of which bars there are t-wo, fixed on the top plate 2O of the carriage.

Normally the lugs 28a of the keys 28 are engaged with the bars 29,'as shown in Fig. 6, andthe marking-ngers 22 are then ypositively held in inoperative positions. When, however, by lateral movements of said keys the said lugs are `released from said bars, the springs 24 will ythrow the free ends of the released marking-iingers into contact with the upper surface of the recording-strip z', so that under the traveling movement of the carriage thecarbon a, coperating with the said marking-'fingers will produce a mark indicating by its length lthe length of time during which `the said marking-fingers are operative.

`Suitably journaled in the top and bottom plates of the traveling carri-age is a pair of motor-shafts 30, which are put under tension to turn in the direction indicated by the ar rows on'Figs. 5, 8, 9, S, and 9a from stron-g coiled springs 3l, secured thereto at one end andto posts 32 at their other ends, which posts are secured to the top and bottom plates of the carriage.

On the motor-shafts 30 are three pairs of intermeshing gears 33, 34, and 35, located the one pair above the other. The intermediate pair of gears 34 and the upper pair 35 are adapted to engage with the longitudinallyextended racks 7, and hence have the same pitch-circles and the same number of teeth. The lower gears 33 are shown as of the same pitch-circles, although this is not necessary,

j as these lower gears do not engage the said racks 7. The intermediate gears 34 are fixed or keyed to the respective shafts 30, while the upper and lower gears 33 and 35 are loose on the said shafts. motor-shaft 30 has keyed or fixed to it a small ratchet-wheel 36, with which a spring-pressed pawl 37 on the gear 33 which stands imme- Below the gears 33 eachl IOO IIO

diately above the same cooperates as a driven member. e One o f the Amotor-shafts 3.0 .just above the cooperating upper gear is provided with an intermittently-operating driving-arm 38. (Shown in Figspl, 4, and 5and in detail in Fig."3.) This arm 38 is keyedk or otherwise rigid-1y secured to the said shaft 30 and moves continuously therewith. At its free end this drivin g-arm 38 is bifurcated and is provided with askip-pawl 39, which is yieldingly held in its normal position againsta vstop 40 by a spring 4l. l The skip-pawl 39 isy provided with a projection 39, which is adapttor-springs 3l, acting through the gears 34 and 35, thek carriage is put .underfstrain to move from its normal position (indicated in Figs. 1 and 2) toward the opposite end ofthe platen 2. This movement of the carriageis restrained and properly timed by a suitable clock mechanism having, ot'v course, an escapement device,v which clockwork is indicated in the drawings as an entirety by the numeral 43. Thisclockwork is best shown in Fig. 5, wherein the wheels of the same, eX- cept the-wheel;43, are indicated by dotted lines. vThe said wheel 43a meshes with one of the pair of lower wheels 33, already described, and the clockwork act-ing through A this wheelk 43"L restrains the movement of the wheels 33 and through the cooperating ratchet-wheels 36 and pawls 37 Vholds back the motor-shafts 30. This actionis best illustrated in Figs. 9 and 9, wherein the pinion 43, as wellas the -gears 33, are indicated by dotted lines. The'clockwork illustrated also involves 'an exposed dial 44 and hands 45, which dial is located on top of the upper plate 20 ot' the carriage. As this clockwork may be of any suitable construction, further illustration thereof is not deemed necessary. In this preferred construction the gear33, which stands under kthe gear 35, which carries the lugs 42, is provided on its under side with a trip-cam46. This tri p-cam 46 acts on the free end of an arm 47, which is carried by a short vertical rock-shaft 48, mounted in the top and bottom plates 2O of the traveling carriage. This rock-shaft 48 carries a trip-,arm 49, the free end of which normally stands in the path of movement of the projection 39 of the skippawl 39, which, it will be remembered, is carried at the free end ofthe driving-lever 38. A spring 50 yieldingly holds the trip-arm 49 in its normal position and the Vlower arml 47 against the stop 5l, as best shown in Figs. 8 and 9. under face with a cam 52, which extends concentric to the axis of said gear throughoutl The other gear 33 is provided onlits 4approximately one hundred and eighty degrees,but is beveled at its forward end, as shown at 52% The cam'52 acts upon .the free end of an arm 53, which is ycarried by a short vertical rock-shaft 54, mounted in the top and bottom plates 20 of the traveling carriage. The rock-shaft 54 carries a locking-arm 55, in the head of which is adj ustably mounted va lock-block 56, preferably of rubber or leather. A screw 57 in the head of ysaid lever 55 serves to project the block 56 more or less, las. maybe desired. A spring 58 .normally holds the locking-arm 55 in an inoperative po-- sition and the arm 53 against a stop 59, projecting from the carriage-frame.

Operation: We will rst consider the operation of the register when the parts are adjusted as shown in the drawings-that is, with the racks 7 engaged with the upper wheels 35. When `the clockwork is started to run at seven oclockof the first day,which we will asvsume tobe Monday morning, the parts stand as indicated in Figs. 1,-2, 5, 6,' 8, and 9. During therst twelve hours o f movement the skip-pawl 39 of the driving-arm 38 will keep engagement withthe lug 42'on the coperating gear 35, with which it originally stood engaged, and will impart to the 'two gears 35 half-rotations. This movement of the gears 35 will cause the traveling carriage 2O 2l to move a distance which on the graduated record-strip is indicated asl twelve hours.` This' position is shown in Fig. l0, and the correspondingpositions of `certain other parts are, as already stated, indicated in Figs. Stand 9f". The gears 33, as already stated, are driven from the ratchet-wheels 36, and they inturn, lunder the control of the clockwork, hold back the motor-shafts and other parts driven thereby. When the gears33 have reached `the position indicated in Fig. 9, the trip-cam'46, acting on the arm 47, has forced the trip-arm 49 out ot' thepathof the projection 39a ot the skip-'pawl 39, as shownl in Fig. 8a. At approximately the same time .or an instant later the trip-cam 46willpass out of IOO IIO

contact with the arm 47, and the-spring 50v hours been engaged, and-pass on bythe same.

Hence dnringthe next twelve hours and until the said. skip-pawl reaches engagement with the vdiametrically opposite lug 42 A'the two gears 35 will stand idle and the carriage 2O 2l will remain' stationary. During this twelve hours the ycam 52,' acting on the arm 53, forces the block 56 of the locking-lever 55 into tight engagement with the teeth of the adjacent Vrack 7, and thereby positively locks the carriage against accidental movements. By adjustments of thescrew 57 theblock 56 is so set forengagernent with4 the teeth of the rack that thek friction due to the reacting pressure of the lever 53 against ythe cam 52 n will equal or approximately equal the force,

required to move the carriage. In this way the accurate running of the clockworkY throughout the twenty-four hours ot each day is maintained.

' The machine illustrated is designed to run intermittently, as above described--that is, for twelve hours of each day for the six consecutive workingdays of a week. From what has already been said in the early part of this description the manner in which the marking-lingers are thrown into and out of action by the keys 29 should be well understood. It is here simply repeated that the marking tingers or devices are thrown into action by releasing the keys and are thrown out of action by depressing the same.

The ruling and markings on the record strip or'sheet are indicated `only in Fig. 10, wherein the lines marked y are the lines made by the marking devices. The transverse linesfyindicate hours of time, and in practice intervening lines would usually be employed to indicate fractions of hours. As the record strip or sheet is transparent, the lines y made thereon by the travel of the markers over the said record-strip and carbon are plainly visible from the upper surface of the recordstrip.

When the racks 7.are moved into engagement with the intermediate gears 34, the earriage will `be caused to travel continuously throughout the twenty=four hours of the day,

and with the device illustrated the carriage would run for .but three days without resetting. As is obvious, the platen and guides and racks might be extended so that the carriage would run for a longer time. 7 are moved into engagement with the intermediate gears 34 by movement of the lever 16 into its lower position, in which position the lock-pin 17 is engaged with the lowermost perforation 18 of the post 19;

When the lever 1G is thrown into its uppermost position, the pin 17 may be engaged with the uppermost perforation 18 of said post 19, andin this position the. racks 7 are moved above the upper gears 35, and the carriage vmay then be freely run from one end to the other of its runways or guides.

The motor-.springs 31'may be woundup by applying a suitable key (not shown) to the squared upper end 30 of one of the motorshafts-30, under which winding action the ratchet-wheels 36 slip under the cooperating pawls 37, so that the lower gears 33, which are geared with the clockwork, are not moved backward. r

When the racks 7 are engaged with the intermediate gears 34, the motor-springs 3l will bewound up by the simple act ot' returning the carriage to its normal orstarting position.

At the end of the week, or at the end of the period of days for which the device is set to run, the carriage will of course stand at the extreme foot end of the frame 3 and platen 2. The carriage will usually be returned to its normal or starting position at The racks 7 oclock a. m. of the first day of the week. If, however, the carriage should not be returned toits starting position until 7.30 a. m. forinstance, the carriage should not be moved toits extreme starting position, but should be moved only far enough to register the marking ends of the marking-fingers with the line .or position on the recording strip or sheet indicating 7. 30.

It will ot course be understood that the invention above described is ,capable of many modifications. While I consider the traveling .carriage as a feature broadly new, it would, nevertheless, be within the scope of my invention, although not the full equivalent of the-construction wherein the traveling carriage is employed, to vmake the parts corresponding to the carriage stationary and to provide a flat or extended platen capable of being always kept completely in view and to 'move the said platen. In short, I'believe I am the rst to provide a time-recorder in which the complete record may be always exposed to view-that is, kept in a position where it 'may be inspected while the machine is in action.

In some cases the so-called carriage or 2 support for the marking devices will be made stationary, and the platen will be given a movement. This latter construction would probably be employed in verylarge machines, while the traveling carriage and fixed platen would be employed in small and medium-sized machines. The traveling carriage has many kadvantages over the movable platen, and the .one is not the full equivalent ofthe other.

What I claim, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. The combination with a record-supporting platen so extended that its entire recordsupporting surface may be seen, of a carriage or support, means for moving one of said parts with a timed action, and a plurality of independent markers mounted on said carriage or support and operative at will, which markers are so disposed that they always stand entirely clear of the record, thereby leaving the entire record exposed to view, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a substantially flat platen and a carriage or support, of means for moving one of the said parts with a timed action, independent markers on said support, and means vfor holding the record-strips on said platen, substantially as described.

3. The combination with aplaten and a carriage or support, the one movable with respect to the other, of a rack connected to said platen, a gear on said support meshing with said rack, automatic means for intermittently moving said gear with a timed action, and marking devices on said carriage or support, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a platen and a carriage or support, of a rack connected to said platen, a gear on said support meshing with IIO said rack, a spring-motor on said support, a rotating driver subject to said motor, a skippawl on said driver, engageable with driving projections movablevvvith said gear, and a Ving the same, involving an escapement, a

spring-motor and a skip-pawl connection between said motor and driven member, and independent markers on said carriage or support, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a. platen, of a carriage mounted to move over the same, means for moving said carriage with a timed action, and independent markers on said carriage, substantially-fas described.

`7. The combination with a platen and means for securing a record-strip thereon, a carriage-guide, a traveling carriage movable on said guide over said platen, independent markers on said carriage, and means for moving said carriage with a timed action, substantially as described. t i l 8. The combination with a platen and means for securing a record-strip thereon, of

a carriage-guide, a carriage movable on said guide over said platen, means for moving said carriage intermittently and with a timed action, and markers on said carriage, substantially as described.

` 9. The combination with a platen and a graduated record-strip securable upon said platen,of a carriage-guide, a carriage movable on said guide over said record-strip, independent markers on said carriage, and means for moving said'carriage at a rate of speed corresponding to that indicated on said record-strip, substantially as described.

10. The combination with aplaten and a carriage-guide, of a traveling carriage movable on said guide, independent markers on said carriage, a spring-motor for movin-g said carriage, and an escapement controlling said motor and a timed mechanism for regulating the speed of said carriage, substantially as described.

11. The combination with al platen and a carriage or support, ot means for moving one of said parts With respect to the other With a timed action, means for positively and intermittently intercepting the movement of said movable member, and independent markers on said support, substantially as described.

12. The combination with a platen and a carriage-guide, of a traveling carriage movable on said guide, a motor for moving said carriage, a lock for said carriage operated intermittently and with a timed action, andindependent markers on the said carriage, substantially as described. t

13. The combination with a platen and a carriage or support, of afconstantly-running motor-for moving one of said parts-with respect to the other, a trip for intermittently throwing said motor out of action on the movable member, a lock for intermittently securing the movable member, and independent markers on said carriage or support, substantially as described.

14. The combination Wit-h a platen and a carriage-guide, of independent markers on said carriage, a' constantly-running springmotor on said carriage for driving the same, e

driving-wheels subject to said motor, a trip for throwing said motor out of action on said driving-Wheels, a resistance device arranged to be thrown into'action on said motor when said motor isthrown out ot' action, which resistance device oiers a resistance tothe movement of said motor approximately equal to that required to drive the carriage or movable member. e

15. The combination with a lat,relatively fixed platen and carriage-guide connected therewith, of a pair of racks fixed against endwise movement with respect to said platen, a traveling carriage movable on said guide, a pair of intermeshing gears meshing with said racks, one thereof having apair of drivinglugs, a springmotor actuating said gears,

-means for restraining the movements of said motor, involving an escapement, and a mov n carriage or support, the one movable with respect to the other, independent markers on said support movable over said platen, a rackl mounted on said platen, a pair of gears located one over the vother on said support, means for engaging said racky with either ot' said gears, means for driving one of said gears continuously, and means for driving the other of said gears intermittently, and both with properly-timed actions, substantially as described. v v

18. VThe combination with a relativelyfixed platen and a traveling carriage, of a pairof vertically-adjustableracks, two pairs of gears on said carriage, means for adjusting said racks into engagement-With either of said pairs of gears, a spring-motor acting constantly onone of said pairs otgears, means for automatically and intermittently render.- ing said motor operative on thekotherpair ot' said gears, andy a clockwork or lescapement mechanism restraining theaction of saidmotor, vsubstantially as described. p

19. The combination with the relatively ixed platen and traveling carriage, of a pair of vvertically adjustable racks lextending IOO lengthwise of the path of movement of said carriage, two pairs of gears mounted one over the other on said carriage, means for moving said racks into mesh with either pair of said gears, independent marking devices on said carriage, a spring-motor acting constantbT on one of said pair of gears, driving-lugs 42 011 one member of the other pair of gears, a constantly-driven arm or driver38, provided at its free end with a skippaw1 39 engageable intermittently with said lugs 42, the vibrating 

